Nagare Senju
, , |species=Human |gender=Male |blood type=O |birthdate=April 26 |deceased state=Alive |age-part1=17-18 |age-part2=20-21 |height-part1=165.1 cm |height-part2=170.2 cm |weight-part1=54.4 kg |weight-part2=56.7 kg |rank-part1=Jōnin |rank-part2=Jōnin |nature type=Water Release, |affiliations=Land of Fire, Konohagakure |clan=Senju Clan |shippuden=No |media=Anime, Manga }} Nagare (ながれ, Nagare) is a Jōnin of Konohagakure, and a descendent of the village's infamous co-founding family. One of the remnants of a nearly vanished clan, remembered almost solely through history, that combatant of time's erosion. Nagare's existence was a decidedly lonely one, reared in an orphanage, propelling him to the quest of his younger years. A solitary odyssey, dedicated to reclaiming his family's history. His efforts enlightened him of his lineage, and out of his pride in finally attaining knowledge of his origins, he claimed with pride the name of Senju. His childhood isolation gave Nagare the time he needed for self-instrospection. An ardent reader of philosophy from a young age, he would eventually be known as an exceptionally stoic individual for the school of thought he would adopt, for upon his examination of his own psyche and identity, he discovered that at heart he believed in the principles of stoicism. It served as a way for Nagare to protect himself from his isolation, his feelings of loneliness, as it prompted him to realize that all he needed to do was simply take control of his own emotions. Renowned as Nagare of the Waves (波浪のながれ, Harō no Nagare), he is a master of the Water Release, and he considers his natural elemental affinity an extension of himself. The calm, reflecting, tranquil properties of water being present in his personality. As are the potentially devastating, raging qualities. A true master of his elements, Nagare's usage of his Water Release hinges around the manipulation of tides and current, often to rather annihilating effects. Many have noted that Nagare's unique talents in the Water Release are reminiscent of the young man's idol, Tobirama Senju, and some think his skill may eventually be second only to Tobirama himself if cultivated over time. Appearance Nagare is quite "adorable," according to most women near his age. His youthful face gives the appearance of being a couple of years younger than he really is. His facial features can appear more childlike due to his somewhat weak chin, rounded jawline, and his nearly flawless skin. He has a slightly small, narrow nose, as well. Nagare's visage is dominated on most occasions by his rather calm, stoic expression. In fact, people frequently joke that the lack of muscle movement in his face (caused by his constant blank expression) is probably the cause for its retained youthful appearance. Nagare is known for his rather…unique hair. It is not blonde, black, brown, or even red. No, Nagare was born with blue hair. A blue colour so intense it reminds one of the depths of the oceans. The roots of his hair start out that particular oceanic blue, and it progressively gets subtly lighter until it reaches the tips. Nagare's hair reaches to just past his jawline, and is cut into a rather simplistic style. Layered and fringed, with bangs that fall to cover his eyebrows. This boyish haircut frames his face wonderfully, at least, in Nagare's own opinion. The young man's slightly rounded eyes are breathtaking. When one looks into them, they are reminded of deep, reflecting pools, and almost instantly, a feeling of immersion occurs. The sensation is almost akin to being drenched in Nagare's tranquility. His aquatic blue irides most certainly physically resemble bodies of water, something Nagare himself considers quite fitting, given his Water Release prowess. His eyes express peacefulness and clarity, reflecting his true inner nature. However, when he is enraged or pushed to an emotional breaking point, they remind one of deadly whirlpools or devastating rogue waves and tsunamis. A rather small young man, Nagare is not very physically imposing. He stands at around five feet, seven inches tall, just slightly below the average for a male his age. Possessing a rather slight build, Nagare weighs roughly one hundred and twenty five pounds. He is rather slender, lacking muscle mass, but to make up for it he is at least notably lean. Nagare's rather small size often leads to him being underestimated or taken lately; since the common thought is that people of diminutive stature and build are non-threatening. However, Nagare himself is quite content with his lean physique and somewhat shorter height. Nagare's attire is rather bland, devoid of flair, as he prefers to not draw attention to himself. Generally, he will wear a simple black, long sleeved v-neck sweater. He usually dons the long, white scarf that he favours so much. Nagare wears a pair of light blue (so light to the point of almost looking white) form-fitting jeans, and he wears his black Konoha headband as a belt, stringing it through the belt loops of his jeans and ties it in the back. He also is almost never seen without his favourite, comfortable traditional shinobi sandals. These sandals are black in colour, matching his headband. Personality Nagare's predominant trait is his stoic philosophy. He believes in the principles of stoicism very ardently, and is rigid in his adherence to them. The importance he places upon values such as valor, wisdom, justice, and moderation is very striking. He follows the stoic principle of self-control, as well; to the point of remaining very measured and in control of his emotions. Nagare is very critical in his views of others if he views them as frivolous, impulsive, or overly expressive of their emotions. He also has a very cynical view of what he views as cowardice, the disdain stemming from his core stoic values. True to the tenants of stoicism, Nagare places a high degree of importance upon wisdom. To this end, the young man has spent countless hours reading, the end goal being to absorb as much as knowledge as he is capable of. Not only does he strive to learn, he spends a great deal of time meditating, examining himself to better understand his psyche; the highest form of wisdom being, in his view, total understanding of oneself. His value of wisdom can occasionally come off condescending, as he is quick to write off the "intellectually lazy." Frustration is riled within him when speaking with a person who cares little for attuning the higher knowledge that leads to true wisdom. Nagare has a unique perspective on the meaning of valour. He considers it the highest form of the self-control that the stoic philosophy characterizes. His reasoning being that keeping one's fear at bay and facing a distressing situation takes an abnormal degree of power being exercised over the emotions. He believes it takes restraint worthy of a stoic to achieve bravery. As such, Nagare himself possesses, and frequently exhibits, a steely resolve stemming from his complete and total control of his emotions. This is not to say that Nagare himself is a brave man; rather, his composure and command over his emotions is stronger than his innate fear. Justice is an ideal that Nagare holds very dear to him, being a major tenet of stoic doctrine. The judicious young man's definition of justice is inextricable from that of the philosophy he adheres to. He believes that that which fosters happiness falls within the definition of just, and conversely, that which spreads evil is categorized as evil. Accordingly, that which he sees as neither good nor evil is simply indifferent; not constructive, but not particularly harmful. He does, in accordance with his philosophy, recognize an "indifferent" as preferred or dispreferred. That which is preferred is in accordance with nature and that which is dispreferred contrary to nature. Moderation, the last of the four major axioms of stoicism, is also found in Nagare. He is frugal by nature, disdaining waste of any kind, and despises material excess. As such, he is staunchly biased against those who are wealthy and do not use their resources for the betterment of society. Greed, to Nagare, runs counter to all of the values of import in a stoic's world, as he views it unwise, cowardly, and also in a way unjust. As such, the principle of moderation is the foundation of the philosophy to him, supporting the three other tenets of the doctrine. Strictly adhering to this value, Nagare is content with modest accommodations and few possessions, comfortable with a poor man's life. Though his philosophy is the thread used to weave the fabric of his identity, there is more to Nagare than stoicism, and his personality is not devoid of depth. Independent of his creed, he is a serious young man, rarely ever shaken. He approaches things with a maturity uncommon to a youth of his age, with a methodical, analytical calmness. Perhaps this somber nature stems from his childhood as a solitary orphan. His seriousness is not to be mistaken for severity, however. Despite his serious, Nagare does enjoy life and for the most part, the people around him. He can extricate himself from his graveness in favor of his lighter side. Stemming partially from his own personality and the result of his studies, Nagare possesses an innate peacefulness. A unique tranquility, like the still waters of a pond. This serenity, along with his self control, is the primary reason why he never seems to express negativity. After years of introspection and getting to understand himself, he has learned true inner peace. Hardly anything seems to bother the young man, and he has been compared to a gentle ocean wave, rolling along quietly and peacefully. He is content to, as he would put it, "flow wherever the current of life takes me, without resistance." Perhaps linked to his maturity, Nagare is highly intelligent, especially for his age. He has a rather insightful mind, and he is a student of logic. In all of his readings, logic and philosophy are the subjects Nagare reads the most about. This studying has trained his mind to its peak, and kept his reasoning skills sharp. His skills of analysis are impeccable, as noted by many close to him. However, his intelligence mainly lies in memorization and dissection of information. His memory is eidetic, and as such, he has a complete recall of all information he comes across. While most of Nagare's loyalties are forged from reason rather than emotion, due to his philosophy, he will make exceptions for his closest friends and most predominantly his village. A Senju who inherited his birthright, his clan's will. History Background The circumstances of Nagare's birth center around love, lust, envy, and no small dose of vengeance. The boy's parents were a lone Senju shinobi from Konohagakure, and a young woman from a powerful noble family of the Land of Fire. Nagare's mother was engaged to partake in matrimony with one of the country's young, powerful politicians. However, this marriage to be was not the woman's decision; it was that of her parents. Pressured into an arranged marriage forged for social convenience and monetary standing, she was susceptible to be romanced. So it was that she happened across Nagare's father. A good looking, intelligent, caring young man who swept her off her feet. The man became her paramour, her forbidden true love with whom she conceived a child. The pair told no one, with the obviously pregnant young woman lying to her fiancé and informing him the child was his. However, she had no intentions of raising Nagare with her soon-to-be-husband as his "father." Knowing she couldn't keep her secret affair under wraps for much longer, she bode her time until her lover had procured a sanctuary that would serve as the family's home. She stole away to this sanctuary to give birth to Nagare, leaving her (now ex) fiancé a letter explaining her affair and the cancellation of their upcoming nuptials. As the couple had anticipated, the rejected politician was rather displeased and, taking his thirst for retribution to the apex of noxia, he hatched a plan. He would repay his former bride to be the kindness she dealt him; he hired a team of elite renegade shinobi to exact his brand of justice upon the family. Nagare's parents, however, expected this type of reaction. The young couple sent their love child away. Nagare's father happened to have an old friend that ran an orphanage in Konoha. He confided in the woman his situation, and she promised to temporarily take Nagare in and shelter him. The woman also promised the infant's father that if something were to happen to him and the child's mother, she would hide from the boy his parentage in order to protect him. Once the politician's squad of elite ninja caught up to the Senju man and his lover, however, it cemented Nagare's permanent residence in the orphanage. Solitary Child Abilities Chakra Reserves & Prowess Stamina & Life Force Ninjutsu Water Release Prowess Space-Time Ninjutsu Taijutsu Kenjutsu Trivia * Nagare's author, Para, left Nagare to Ben upon her departure. In the event she return, Ben will transfer Nagare back to her despite such actions not being metioned in her departure blog. Quotes